DR Congo suspends admissions to Makala prison
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s government has temporarily suspended new admissions to the Kinshasa Penitentiary and Re-education Centre, commonly known as Makala central prison, ACTUALITE.CD reported. According to the report, the measure responds to overcrowding at the facility in Kinshasa.
Kenyan watchdog investigates journalist’s detention
Kenya’s Independent Policing Oversight Authority said it opened an investigation on 20 October 2026 into the arrest and brief detention of journalist Ode Francis. He was covering protests over a recent increase in fuel prices when police officers detained him, according to the authority’s statement reported by KBC Digital.
The authority contacted Francis on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, during its preliminary inquiries. It also plans to inspect records at Central Police Station and obtain accounts from officers deployed for public-order duties during the protests. The investigation will assess whether the arrest and detention complied with the law and policing procedures. IPOA said it would make appropriate recommendations when the investigation concludes, including accountability recommendations if culpability is established.
Senegalese bodies receive commission status
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights granted observer status to the Association of Senegalese Women Lawyers and affiliate status to the National Observatory of Places of Deprivation of Liberty, APS reported. The decisions were made in Dakar on Wednesday, strengthening the two Senegalese bodies’ participation in the commission’s mechanisms.